


Hordak 20 Years After

by popeyeotaku



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-22
Updated: 2020-11-21
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:47:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,329
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27662909
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/popeyeotaku/pseuds/popeyeotaku
Summary: Premise borrowed from an episode of Gatchaman. When Hordak sets out to investigate a first ones portal in the Northern Waste, he ends up face to face with his greatest fears.
Kudos: 3





	Hordak 20 Years After

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! This is my first fanfic, my first writing thing I've made actual progress on in like 3 years, and the first thing I've released publicly!! :D I'm terrified!!
> 
> Sorry the plot hasn't really gotten started this chapter, lol. It's a character piece openly borrowing the premise from an episode of Gatchaman, I think if you'll know what episode I mean pretty quick, lol. I hope y'all like it :'3 Please leave comments and kudos so I'll actually feel up to continuing it 😅

His red eyes narrowed.

“Entrapta,” he began, but even though the connection to the Northern Waste was suffering serious impediment – snowy, fuzzy, wavy, always on the verge of cutting out entirely – he could clearly see the stars in her eyes she had never seen.

The damn fool.

Hordak was _not_ one who can just be ordered around. The corner of his mouth twitched. As diplomatically as possible, he resumed, “You have been granted certain chances that I would not extend to many,” – this he said with a bite in his voice, “But you cannot be permitted to simply do as you please,” he lowered his head to make his burning eyes brim with menace, “I. Do. Not. Leave. The Fright Zone.”

The Fright Zone. Cheap aging piping, overly reverberant grated flooring that beated down on the ears just to move in, the cold, the _stench;_ there was something of the smell of the rotting rusting material that reminded Hordak of blood. Of course, that had all started as something temporary – a quick thrown together construction until he could get back to Prime.

Prime.

Hordak recalled it – that wistful feeling for the time when he had no fears or worries or pain, when things were clean and sterile and light punished the dark.

Now Hordak was surrounded by sloppily lit darkness.

But it was a penance for him now. Things were rotten and things would continue to be rotten until he returned to his glorious brothers.

At this point Hordak’s thoughts were interrupted by bright infantile giggling, filled with pure joy. Of course, Entrapta was still oblivious. Completely, damnably oblivious, as per usual. The more her smile came through on the monitor, the more dour Hordak’s expression became, the more irate his thoughts became.

“Oh, but Hordak,” the words casually bubbled out of her as though Hordak hadn’t just threatened her, as though he hadn’t just made things perfectly clear, as though the fact he stayed here wasn’t crucial to everything, her smile so warm in that freezing tundra it may as well have been infectious, “Listen, we found something out here,” still so casual, she was even twirling a hair tendril around her finger, “and it’s _so amazing_. You just have to have a look at it—”

At that point Hordak lost it, screaming “I. DO. NOT. LEAVE. THE. FRIGHT. ZONE.”

He stood there, hunched over slightly, his eyes burning – even if he didn’t need to breathe per se, his body heaved as though panting.

He regretted it immediately. Obviously, he regretted it. Just one look at her shock that turned to complete dejection; there were no tears in her eyes but they looked watery all the same, her hair falling around her, her face lowering, her stammering to think of something to say that he wasn’t listening to. _Obviously,_ he had gone too far. _Obviously_ Hordak was just appalling when it came to explaining things to people. She wasn’t like his other followers, whose insubordination needed to be punished heavily so they could understand the freedom and painlessness that came with obedience. No… no Entrapta was different. Quite different. Utterly different. She simply didn’t understand. She simply needed to be taught the wisdom, as Prime had taught it to Hordak. Hordak cursed himself in his mind that should have been empty for being such a poor substitute for his master. For the master. Why did he even try?

Hordak sighed.

It was a deep, guttural sigh.

A sigh speaking of decades of failure.

His failure. But a failure that was about to be rectified, thanks to _her_.

This was no time for thoughts of defeat. Shaking his head, he tried thinking of how to rectify her dejection and get the project back on schedule. He had never been good at explanations, never had need for them in any case. He gave out orders and they were followed, and any explaining that occurred happened at the level beneath him.

Oh.

“Entrapta,” he began, before being struck silent by the picture of her head looking up at him, eyes full of blues. You poor creature. How could anyone do that to you. He needed to fix this, now. “Is Force Captain Catra there?” he asked.

At that, Entrapta’s hurt brow furrowed in confusion. “Yes? Why? I thought I was talking to you about stuff right now, science stuff! She doesn’t understand all that—”

“I’m right here,” and the rough voice wasn’t even sarcastic at this point, just filled with utter exhaustion, resentment, and hatred. Catra’s multicolored eyes twitched slightly as she walked into frame, staring into Entrapta. This emotion hadn’t manifested the last time Hordak had seen the two interact. Perhaps the Force Captain had hidden it from him? Doubtful; she considered her Lord to be completely oblivious to such matters. As though he were a moron. She was so overconfident, overestimating her own abilities and wits. But she was useful to him for the moment, so he would allow it. What he would not permit was for her to harm Entrapta.

“Force Captain,” he said putting his lips into a slight sneer, “I am sure you understand the need to present Entrapta with the same respect you would any high ranking Horde official.”

Catra half closed her eyes as she looked down and muttered, “Anyone except me, more like.”

Ah. Jealousy. That explained it perfectly. These damnable Etherian emotions seemed to always get in the way of Hordak’s plans. Jealousy, sadness, ambition, love. Such traits were, of course, beneath Lord Hordak – or so he told himself. There were moments where he doubted, though. Even more reason to get a working portal and drown himself in the cleansing pain of Horde Prime’s love until he ceased such weaknesses.

Right. He was getting this thing back on schedule. Entrapta. Yes.

“Force Captain Catra,” Hordak said simply, “explain to Entrapta why I am not to leave the Fright Zone under any circumstances.”

Catra’s blue eye twitched visibly. “Yeah. Sure thing, Hordak.”

At that Catra gave Hordak the most half-hearted salute he’d ever seen in his life and grabbed the back of Entrapta’s chair. He was sure it was meant as a threatening gesture, but her violent spin of her seat so that they could face each other only made Entrapta giggle like a child. Hordak couldn’t see her face, but from her body (and more so hair) language he could see she was cheering up – clearly, at the very least, she was enraptured by Catra’s dry canned speech.

It was some official drivel he thought Shadow Weaver had come up with at some point, about how Hordak defended the freedom of Etheria while sacrificing his own freedom up until the very day of conquest; although Hordak was all-powerful (it occurred to him at this point that Entrapta might have several questions about the accuracy of this speech), the dastardly princesses would not stoop to attempting to use their evil magics to ensnare the almighty Horde Lord in a trap for ransom that could jeopardize their glorious mission.

“Or something like that,” added Catra, hunched forward with stress.

The overly long prewritten rant was true in a way, though, especially given how vulnerable Hordak really was. If he were to be captured by the Rebellion, it could tear his organization apart. It could prevent him from ever contacting Lord Prime, from returning to his glorious light.

Hordak’s red eyes gleamed. That was not going to happen. With the new First Ones’ tech and Entrapta’s aid, they would construct the portal within a few months. After decades of waiting, it was almost within his grasp. He could almost taste that wonderful amniotic fluid. He really must stop letting these minor inconveniences get to him like that. He’d spent so long with major inconveniences, now things were starting to turn in his favor.

“But that doesn’t matter,” Catra turned directly towards the monitor, “’cause we actually do need you down here, Hordak.”

What?

This wasn’t how he planned it at all. He didn’t need Entrapta more confused. This was damned frustrating. At least he knew how to explain things to Catra. He narrowed his crimson eyes to slits and raised one brow as menacingly as possible. Slowly, dripping with threat, he asked “And why, dear Force Captain, is that?”

He wasn’t actually that angry, but he knew it was a good show from Catra’s instinctively moving her hand towards her throat, remembering the other times she’s been shown what happens to failures.

At this point, he glanced back to Entrapta’s portrait in the huge monitor and realized she’d been sizzling for a while now, barely holding back whatever she wanted to share. No doubt it was something scientific. Her exuberance was as infectious as her laugh, which she now shot out – less joyful and more manic this time – and she flew up on her hair (Catra fell back onto the ground with a yelp). Although it must have been only an instant, it felt like eternity for Hordak to sit their helplessly – not that he wanted help – and watch Entrapta’s smile grow and grow, until it was wide and open and almost filled the screen, that wonderful smile, and from it came –

“WE FOUND A PORTAL!”

…

Hordak’s face fell blank. His mind was truly empty, emptier even than when connected to the hivemind.

Entrapta was more than happy to fill in the silence, as she added with even greater, louder, more excited, “AND IT _WORKS_!!”

Catra groaned as she stood and brushed the dust off her legs. The floor was even colder than the air. And she hated the cold. She hated heat too, come to think of it. The Fright Zone might suck, but at least its weather was consistent. For all the years she’d dreamed of finally going into the field, she couldn’t wait to be back. Of course, that wasn’t going to be for a while longer, now. She shook her head. This whole thing better end up being worth it. Catra couldn’t believe she’d let herself be talked into the thing. Stupid princess.

She looked back to the monitor and was shocked to see Hordak looking more blank than she’d ever seen him. Usually he had this whole mask up full of anger or whatever. Catra got that. She absolutely got that It was a decent way to stay alive. But she’d never seen that mask drop.

She smiled, a fang slipping down her lip. Maybe this wasn’t such a bad idea after all.

Then, Hordak’s blank eyes turned to a vile smile, his eyes burning not with anger but sheer desiring heat. His lips opened.

“So, all our problems are solved then? Can you confirm this, Entrapta?”

Entrapta’s hair scratched the top of her head as she glanced up thoughtfully. “Weelllllll,” she stretched out, “I _think_ so. But I don’t know much about how these things work in practice. And anyway, all our equipment for the portal stuff is back in the Fright Zone.”

Catra kept her grin as she waltzed toward the monitor a couple steps. “Seems to me, Lord Hordak,” she said, the sarcasm back to seeping out of her every word, “that despite any potential security issues, it’d make a lot of sense for you to come check this portal thing out in person.” Then her brow and smile lowered, and she added “And maybe it’d get Entrapta to shut up about it anyway,” under her breath.

At that Entrapta jumped up on her hair, and quickly turned to face Catra. Even if Hordak couldn’t see her face, he could hear the genuine concern in her: “But Catra, this ‘portal thing’ is the very ‘thing’ the Horde has been working for all this time! That Hordak has been working for all this time. He’s struggled with the limitations on this planet for so long, can’t you see how difficult that was for him? But finally, decades of work will come to fruition! Even if you aren’t a scientist, can’t you see what that must be like for him? IT’S SO EXCITING—”

“Enough,” spoke Hordak simply. He was back to looking normally angry. He had no need for this embarrassment in front of a Force Captain who could potentially become a threat for him. His brow darkened. “I have made up my mind. I shall venture to the Northern Reach. I have a special high speed craft for such purposes,” he brought up casually, not mentioning that it was intended as an emergency escape pod, “Has any besides the two of you been informed as to this intention?”

Catra gave a less half-hearted salute, “Only Force Captain Scorpia, who’s also here, your Lordship. We only just found the thing anyway.”

Hordak’s burning eyes turned to Entrapta. He raised a brow inquisitively.

“Oh!” she shot up suddenly, “yeah, no; just Scorpia, Catra, and me! Ha-ha.” That damn infectious laugh.

Hordak tapped his fingers on his thigh. Calculating speed, weather conditions, the fact his escape craft hadn’t been touched in over a decade – he probably should have gotten around to doing regular maintenance on it, even if he was sure it was OK. It was salvaged from his crashed ship, and Prime certainly made mecha that were of peak durability.

The tapping stopped. “The trip from the Fright Zone to your location should take six hours in my craft,” Hordak explained, ignoring the impressed whistle from Catra when he mentioned the brief travel time. “And six hours back. That means if we can resolve my need to interact with this portal within 12 hours, I shouldn’t be absent from my headquarters for even a day. This is acceptable. I shall pack the equipment and leave at once.”

He turned to Catra, and his eyes burned into her. She fidgeted slightly.

“And Force Captain,” he said coldly, “do not tell any of my trip. Do not allow any to hear. It shall be a complete secret. Understand?”

Catra nodded silently.

“Good.”


End file.
